Craft beer hits the House

There’s currently a very important bill in the Texas legislature that could change the way Texas beer laws work. And that’s pretty major: Currently in Texas, brewers can’t sell beer directly to their customers. They have to go through distributors, which means no brewpubs in the Lone Star state. And that’s a damn shame.

Some info about HB 2436:

HB 2436 would allow small Texas breweries (under 75,000 bbl of production) to sell the beer/ale that they brew to the ultimate consumer for off-premises or on-premises consumption. It would extend to small breweries the privilege of operating a pub with the same rights and responsibilities as a holder of a wine and beer retailer’s permit but with regard to their own products only. Packaged beer and ale, produced at the brewery, could also be sold for off-premises consumption.

But, as the folks over at Austin’s new Jester King Brewery have noted, there’s something you can do:

There are many things that are impeding the progress of craft beer in Texas, but the fact that Texas craft brewers, unlike Texas winemakers and unlike brewers in many other states, have to choose between selling directly to consumers and selling to the trade. Under the current law, you’ll never be able to purchase a glass of beer at our tasting room. HB 2436 / SB 1575 could change that, but unless you’re willing to lend your support and tell Representative Hamilton that this bill matters, it’s unlikely to receive a committee hearing, and will never see the light of day.

Please call Representative Hamilton at (512) 463-0412 and ask him to give HB 2436 the hearing it deserves. Tell your friends and family to call, and keep the calls coming until a hearing sate has been set.

It’ll only take a moment of your time (they’ll take your name and add it to a list of the bill’s supporters) and will significantly impact the craft beer community in Texas. If you believe in variety and choice and the little man and GOOD BEER, well then dammit, you should believe in this effort.